System of aeroplane control.



Patented' Sept. 30, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A tty E. P. GALLAUDET. SYSTEM OF AEROPLANE GONTROL.

APPLIOATION FILED MAYQ, 1910.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor Atty EDSON r. GALLAUJJET, or NORWICH, .couuncricur.

., SYSTEM OFHAEROPLAN'E ooNrn0L.

note-257,

Toallwhom itrna'y concern." j T Be it known. that I, .Eo so1 I F..GALLAUDET,

I q a citizen of the'United-Stat'es, and resident of thecity.of'Norwich,' inthe county of New 'London and State :of Connecticut,have invented, a vcertain new and, useful System of Aeroplane Control,of which the following is a specification. 1 i

The present inventionrelatesto a system of aeroplane, control which isapplicable "both to 'fmonoplanes and multiplanes,-

whetherZgliders or motor driven and it has: i for its object to provideimproved means and methods for maintaining the lateral balanceofflying-machines of the aeroplane type. i

lVhen a'wing' or sustaining plane of a fly ng-machine, which is given apositive .angle of incidence thereby making its under {side'acompression surf'ace, is tilted laterally the reaction thereof actingina line at an angle to theperpendicular, may-be resolved 1nto tsi'ertlcal or-ll fting'component and a horizontal component which tendsto force touone side the part to which the. wing is attached.Consequently, if such a plane is mounted above or below" thelongitudinal axis .ofthe machine'the vertical component of its reaction,when the machine tilts over toone side or the other'ywill serveto liftor sustain the machine 'while the horizontal component thereof will tendto resist or overcome-thetilting movement-by forcing the top or bottomof the machine, as "the caseimay be, toward that side to which the planeis inclined; and, .by cau'sing two sustaining planes mountedrespectively above and below the longitudinal axis'fofi the ma-- chineto assume suitable diilerentialtransi Verse angular positions, a couplewill" be produced around the longitudinal axis of the machine by thehorizontal components" of the reactions of the planes which may beutilized to tilt the machine over to one side or the other, as desired,or to restoreit to a horizontal position when tilted.

' My invention therefore comprises, in its-- broadest aspect, mountingone or more-o1 .the'main' or auxiliary or supplemental sus-I tainingplanes of an aeroplaneso that it or -they inaybe tilted laterally toeither side of the machine .and 'utilizing the horizontal --component ofthe reaction or 5 reactions thereof, When tilted, for controlling thema:

I Specification of. Letters Patent. "hpplicationefiled aya 191-0. Serialm).- 560,192.

out inxthe claims, a

The f invention isadapted for. use inde-- Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

chine and maintaining it in lateral-balance. In its preferred form,fa"single' auxiliary plane is suitably mounted centrally above and .asecond plane is mounted centrally below the main fixed Wings of amonoplane. .or multiplane machine and the lateral balance ofthe machineis controlled by caus-- ing both upper and lower auxiliary planesto tiltdifferentially to one side or the other and to such degree as may berequired for "the purpose.

- The invention also I comprises the novel: featuresand combinations ofparts hereinafter described. and more specifically pointed pendently ofo'rfin connection with'the system of late'ral control by means ofbalancing rudders which constitute the subject-matter of an earlierapplication.

Means e-i'nbodyinginy invention and suitable' for" carrying intopractical efi'ect my new method of maintaining lateral control of anaeroplane are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in wh ch,simllar refer- .ence numerals being vused throughout toindicatelikepartsiFigure 11 isla perspective view showing in outline.the principal parts of a monoplane gliding machine equipped with upperand lower auxiliary planes which areadapted to be tilted'to one side.

or the other, in opposite directions, to control'thelateral balance-oft-heinachine; Fig;

2, a'diag'ram showing the direction of the reactions thereof when themain and aux-il nary-planes are all "horizontal and parallel;

Figs; 3 and 4, diagrams showing the positions of the auxiliary planeswhen tilted to restore the aeroplane to horizontal position from-a tiltto port and from a tilt to starboard, respectively, and indicating thedirection -of the reactions of such planes and of the component forcesthereof; F 5, a perspective view showing in outl ne the 'same'monoplanegliding machine shown in Fig. .1 equipped with upper and lowerauxiliaryplanes mounted and, operating in. a f somewhatdifterent manner;Fig.6, a diaj gram showing the positions of the' auxiliary planeswhen-tilted to restore. the-aeroplane to horizontal position from a'tilt to port and indicating'the direction of tlie reactions.

of the planes and'also ofthe component forces of uch reactions.

'Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings,

the aeroplane there illustrated comprises the main wings 1, which arerigidlymounted a little forward of the longitudinalcenter of the mainspar 2, and the forward gradient 3, rear gradient 4, forward doublerudder 5 6, and rear double rudder 7 8, which are mounted to rotate, thegradients on transverse horizontal axes and the rudders, either forsteering only or for both balancing and steering, on vertical axes, andwhich are actuated by any suitable controlling mechanism. The upperauxiliary plane 9, pivoted at its longitudinal center between the upperends of central vertical posts 10 and 11, braced by guy-wires 15, bymeans of horizontal fore and aft. pins 12 and 13 journaled in bearingsformed in the top heads of thevertical posts, is given an angle ofincidence substantially the same as that of the rigid main wings and isadapted to be rocked transversely about the axial line formed by thehorizontal pins. The lower auxiliary plane 16 is similarly mountedbetween the lower ends of the cent-rahyertical posts 17 and 18, bracedby guy-wires 21, by means of horizontal fore and aft pins 19 and20bearing in the bottom heads of the vertical posts so as to havesubstantially the same angle of incidence as the rigid main wings androck transversely about the axial line formed by its pivotal bearings.The upper auxiliary plane 9 is operatively connected with any suitablecontrol mechanism, here shown as comprising a sheave 25 mounted torotate with the shaft 26 by the transverse swinging, eitherautomatically by gravity or manually by the operator, of the steeringshaft 27 and steering wheel 28, by the cable 22 the two ends of whichlead directly from opposite sides of the sheave 25 to and are secured ineyes 23 and 24, respectively, suitably mounted at the front edge of theplane on correspondingly opposite sides of its .pivotal axis and atequal distance therefrom. The lower auxiliary plane 16 is similarlyconnected with the sheave 25 of the control mechanism by the crossedcable 29 the ends of which lead from the two opposite sides of thesheave to and are secured in .reversely opposite eyes 30 and 31,

respectively, suitably mounted on the front 'port, as shown in Fig. 3,and inthese new positions the reactions of the two planes, indicated bythe arrows 33 and 36 respectively, may be resolved into their componentforces, one acting directly in line with the reaction of the main wingsas indicated by. the dotted arrows 34 and 37 respectively, and theother, indicated by the dotted arrows 35 and 38 respectively, acting atright angles thereto and tending to restore the aeroplane to its normalhorizontal position. If on the other hand the aeroplane should be tiltedto starboard, the upper auxiliary plane is tilted to port and the lowerauxiliary plane to starboard, as shown in Fig. 4, and

in these new positions the reactions of the and the other indicated bythe dotted arrows,

41 and 44 respectively, at right angles thereto and tending to restorethe aeroplane to its normal horizontal position.

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. 5, the auxiliary plane 45 ismounted above the fixed main wings 1 by means of the four pivotedlink-bars 46, 47 52, and 53, the two former bein pivoted at their lowerends to the upper side of the main starboard wing by elbow-headsjournaled respectively in bearings 48 and 49 and at their upper ends bypins 50 and 51 secured respectively to the front and rear edges of theauxiliary plane on one side of its longitudinal center and bearing inthe top heads of the link-bars, and the two latter by bottom elbow-headsjournaled in bearings 54 and 55 on the upper side of the main port wingand by pins 56 and 57 secured respectively to the front and rear edgesof the auxiliary plane on the.

other side of its longitudinal center and bearing in the top heads ofsaid link-bars. The lower auxiliary plane 58 is similarly mounted belowthe main wings by means of the pivoted link-bars 59, 60, 63, and 64, the

two former being pivoted by top elbow-heads,

journaled in bea'rings (not .show'n)"o n. the;

bars, and the two latter by top elbow-heads under side "of the main portwing and by pins 65 and 66 secured respectively to the front and rearedges of the auxiliary plane on theother side of its longitudinal centerand bearing in the bottom heads of said 1 link b'ars. The; cable .71passes around the.

sheave .offthe' icentral controlling mechaof the'upper auxiliary planeto? which they nism and from the two-sidesthereof'its.

ends lead directly tothe corresponding ends are respectively" secured-bypins. 72. The

crossed cable-=73 also passes around the sheave 25 and from. opposite.sides'thereof which they are respectively secured by. pins 74.

It is evident that. the rotation of the sheave'25, whenever'the steeringwheel and.

shaft swing or are. swungtransversely 'to' one side or the other. of theaeroplane, will through 'thecables 71 and '73 give a similar angularmovement to the'upper: and an opposite angular movement, to the lowerwith, cause both planes to move bodily overauxiliary. plane and,simultaneously theretowardthe side of the aeroplane toward which thesteering wheel and shaft have been swung, therebyprOducing a tilting orrighting couple which is supplemented'and' thereby made morefefiectiveby the vertical or lifting componentof the reactions'of the twoauxiliary planes, which,.owing to the lateral displacement of theseplanes, are

' now acting .to one-side of its longitudinal axis to raise the lowerside of the machine. When, for example, the aeroplane is tilted over toport so as to give the main wings the position shown in Fig. 6,'with areaction in the line indicated by the arrow 75, the

1 upper and lower auxiliary planes will be moved to the positions thereshown'and, in such new positions, their react ons, respectivelyindicated by the. arrows. 76. and 79, -'may be resolved into componentforces, the one, in dicated by the dotted arrows 77 and 80 respectively,acting in lines parallel with but eccentric to the line of reaction'ot.the main wingsand the other acting at right angles theretoas indicatedrespectively by the dotted arrows 78 and 81.

Wh'ile'I have specifically described any new system of aeroplane controlonly with reference to. the particular embodiments thereof which areillustratedin the drawings, it will be understood that its details maybe variously modified without depart ing from the spirit or sacrificingthe advantages of the invention. For example, a single auxiliary movableplane mounted either above or below the main wings may be used; themovable planes may be enlarged and constitute the main or sole liftingand sustaining surfaces-10f the machine; the

means by which the planes are mountedto rock or rock and movetransversely may be modified in obvious ways; and any suitableControlling mechanism may be employed to actuate the movable planes.Such other modifications may be made asfall withinthe scope of theappended claims.

'-What I claim as new, and "desire to secure by ters Patent, i

fixed sustaining plane, 'a'movably mounted sustaining plane, andmeansfor simultaneously effecting both a lateral 'displace 'ment and atransverse angular movement of said movable with respect to said fixedplane, 7 v

2.1 The combination, in an aeroplane, of sustaining planes suitablymounted'centrally above and below the longitudinal axis of the aeroplaneand, means for simultaneously effecting a similar lateral displacementand an -oppositetransverse angular movement of said planes.

The combination, in an aeroplane, of fixed main wlngs, auxiliarysustalmng planes mounted centrally above'and below said 'm'ainjwirigs tohave lateral and'transverse. angular movement, and a controlmechanismadapted to simultaneously effect a similar lateraldisplacement and anopposite transverse angular movement of said 7 auxiliary planes.

4. .The combination, in an aeroplane, of fixed main wings, auxiliarysustaining planes mounted centrally above and below said main wings,and-means for simultaneously-effecting a similar lateraldisplacement ofsaid auxiliary planes.

.5. The',combination, in an aeroplane, of fixed main wings, an auxiliarysustaining plane mounted centrally above, said main wings on pivotedlink-bars having transverse angular movement and different angularpositions on the opposite sides of the longitudinal center of theaeroplane, and means for eifecting a transverse. angular movement ofsaid link-bars.

6. The combination, in an aeroplane, of a fixed main sustaining plane,auxiliary planes mounted centrally above and below said main. plane onpivoted link-bars having angular positions on opposite sides of thelongitudinal center of the aeroplane, and

transverse angular movement and different I means for simultaneouslyeffecting similar transverse angular movement of the link bars uponwhich said upper and lower auxiliary planes are respectively mounted.

7. The combination, in an aeroplane, of a fixed main sustaining plane,auxiliary sustaining planes mounted centrally above and below said mainplane, link-bars having transverse angular movementand difi'erentangular positions on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of theaerqplane, a, In witness whereof I have hereunto signed sheave,- cgblesFperixitivlelycenneciltinlig the pp; my name in the presence of twowitnesses;-

osite si es' 0 sai -s cave-wit t e correr f pofiding opposite ends ofthe upper aux O L U 5 iliary plane and with the reversely oppdsiteWitnesses:

ends of the lower auxiliary. plane,--respec-' DENISON GALLAUDE tively,and means 'for-rotating-sai'd sheave. JOSEPH T. RANNING.

